Christmas Revisited - Part 4 (PG13)

A place for Sumaire's G to PG-13 stories
Post Reply
Sumaire
Kostan Industries intern
Posts: 78
Joined: Wed Apr 08, 2009 6:35 pm

Christmas Revisited - Part 4 (PG13)

Post by Sumaire »

Enjoy! Usual disclaimers, not mine just borrowing

Part Four

Aoife stood and strode into the kitchen, got a glass from the cupboard, retrieved a bag of blood, opened it and filled the glass. She headed to the door and opened it even before Mick got off the elevator.

Mick heard the door to the loft open as soon as the elevator stopped. He could smell Aoife standing there waiting for him. The vampire in him was tired and hungry. He vamped out at the smell of the blood. It seemed like an eternity to him for the doors to open. Once they did, he made a bee line for Aoife and the glass she was holding, took it from her and downed it in one gulp.

Aoife stepped out of the way to let her turn into his penthouse. Without a word or acknowledgement, he went straight for the stairs. Beth stood to go after him.

“No, Beth.” Aoife’s gentle but firm words stopped Beth in her tracks.

“He needs me.”

“Beth, he has to do this on his terms.” All three heard the shower come on. “Besides, he needs a shower and freezer time desperately.” Beth’s face fell. “Don’t worry, he’ll be back down. Just give him some space.”

“Hey, how about we sing some Christmas carols?” Josef picked up the remote to the stereo system and hit play. Jingle Bells started playing. Aoife quickly picked up the melody and started singing the words, Beth joined in right after her and Josef sang the backup parts.

Mick stepped out of the shower and cringed at the sound. They all seem to be having a great time. Wonderful. He toweled off and padded over to the freezer, noting that Aoife had slept in it. Not that he minded, he could tell that she had needed it. He wearily climbed in, hoping that sleep would come quickly.

An hour later he was still wide awake. He could sense that Beth was trying to be patient and let him work it out, but it was hard for her. She wanted to help him, he just didn’t know how. After another twenty minutes, he gave up. Mick pushed the lid to the freezer up, climbed out, grabbed a clean pair of jeans and Henley, threw them on and went downstairs.

Aoife heard Mick get up. She glanced at Josef and motioned towards the stairs. He gave her a curt nod. She silently watched as Mick came down the stairs and headed straight for the kitchen. Beth looked up from the stereo system, but makes no effort to go to him. She hit play on the system and Celtic music filled the penthouse. Beth then walked quietly into the kitchen and stood about a foot and a half from Mick, looking at him intently. She noted how yellow his eyes were from lack of blood and even she could feel the mixture of emotions coming from him.

Mick leaned against the counter, his head hung down, lost in thought. Beth just stood and waited patiently for him to move. When he didn’t after a few minutes, she looked imploringly at the other two vampires. Aoife pointed towards the hidden fridge.

A look of understanding came to Beth’s face. She reached into the cupboard, pulled out a glass and placed it on the counter. She then opened the fridge, took out a decanter filled with blood and poured a full glass of it.

She then picked up the glass and gently set it in front of Mick. Beth then leaned in and whispered, “Drink, Mick. I love you. Whatever it is, we’ll get through it.” She then reached up and caressed his cheek before heading back into the living room.

Mick looked down at the glass that Beth had lovingly poured for him. All of the pent up guilt of everything that had happened came crashing down on him.

He picked up the glass and threw it towards the wall, but Aoife’s reflexes were faster. She had felt his anger and shame growing. The glass stopped in mid-air. Aoife walked over to the suspended glass, grasped it and set it down on the counter.

Mick lifted his head to look at his sire, pain etched on his face. He pushed off of the counter and strode purposefully out onto the balcony.

Beth was losing her battle with her tears. It tore her up inside to see Mick like this. “Aoife, please. Help him.”

“Beth, as much as I want to, he has to open up and exorcise his demons himself and the thought of that terrifies him.”

“So what am I supposed to do? Spend every Christmas alone?”

“No, of course not Beth.” Aoife pursed her lips together in frustration.

“Maybe Beth should force the issue.” Josef was leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees.

“Why on earth would you suggest that?” Aoife responded.

“Because the main reason he and Beth are together in the first place is because she kept pushing him.”

“Is Josef right, Beth?”

“Essentially, yes. I just felt so drawn to Mick that I couldn’t walk away, no matter how many times he told me it wouldn’t work.”

“Another words, she’s pushy.” Josef snarked.

“Josef, shut up.” Beth replied, glaring.

“Well, I guess it’s worth a try. I’m assuming that it’s not the first time you’ve dealt with Mick in a mood like this.”

“You mean the ‘I’m a monster, you’d be better off without me' mood? Yes, I have Aoife.” Beth stood and headed towards the balcony doors.

“Beth.”

Beth stooped midstride and turned her head towards Aoife. “Yeah?”

“Take the glass of blood with you. He needs to feed.” Aoife walked up and handed her the glass.

“Thanks.” Beth sighed loudly. “Well here goes.” She turned the knob and stepped out onto the balcony. Mick was in the far corner, leaning against the wall, one arm wrapped around his waist, the other lying across his chest, his hand resting on this right shoulder. He was staring off into the night sky.

“Mick?” Beth called softly, making no move towards him.

Never breaking his gaze from the L.A skyline, “Beth, what do you see when you look at me?”

Beth took a few tentative steps towards him, trying not to shiver from the cold. “I see a loving, compassionate, protective, loyal, devoted man.”

Mick turned his head to look at her, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Why don’t you see the monster that I am?”

“Because you’re not one, any more than Aoife or Josef are.” She took another few steps forward. “Do you think that I’d feel safe around you or them for that matter, if you were?”

“Beth; Josef, Aoife and I, were predators. We hunt and feed on humans.” Mick turned to look back out at the skyline.

Beth sighed. “I know that Mick. I’m not as naive as you want to believe I am. I fully understand that you are no longer human, and realize that there are many of your kind that aren't like you, Aoife and Josef. But I feel safe with you and whatever it is that you are so afraid to tell me, will not, I repeat, will not, change how I feel about you.”

Mick turned his head back to look at her, a tear sliding down his cheek. He just couldn’t understand how he had gotten so lucky. Beth had managed to pull him far out enough from the recesses of his mind to sense that she was shaking with cold. He unwrapped his arms and held them open. “Come here, you’re shaking like a leaf.”

Beth’s face lit up. Round 1- Beth She practically ran the last few feet and into his arms. He wrapped one around her and took the glass of blood in the other. Instead of drinking it though, he just stared at it. “Mick, drink it, your eyes are yellow.”

He looked down into his angels blue eyes and all he saw in them was her love, devotion and acceptance. “You really do accept this as normal, don’t you?”

“Well, let’s see. I’m hopelessly in love with this incredibly sexy guy, who just happens to be on an extremely restrictive diet.” Beth snarked, a smile gracing her face.

Mick fought hard not to smile. “Beth, I’m serious.”

“So am I. Mick, everyone’s normal is different. This is our normal.” Beth was starting to shake uncontrollably. “Can we please finish this discussion inside? I’m turning into a popsicle.”

“Yeah.” Mick took a drink of blood. “I’m not going to get out of this, am I?”

“Nope. I fully intend to spend next Christmas with only you.”

“Beth, you’ll hate me when you know.”

“Yea of little faith. Mick, talk to me, let me, hell all of us here help you. We all care about you.” Mick finished the glass of blood and let Beth lead him back inside.

Both knew that the two vampires quietly sitting in the living room had heard every word so no explanations were needed. Beth pulled Mick to the couch, sat down and motioned him to sit next to her.

Once seated, Mick took Beth’s hands for comfort. He took a deep breath and started talking. “Beth do you remember me telling you how I got hurt in the Ardennes?”

Beth squeezed his hand in encouragement. “Yes.”

“Well, there’s a lot more to the story.”

Josef opened his mouth to make a remark, but thought better of it when he saw the look Aoife was giving him.

“While I was in the field hospital recovering, I became friends with a nurse there. She was such a great help to me in dealing with losing Ray. Her name was Mary. I had decided that I was going to ask her out when I got sprung from the hospital, since they were going to reassign me there. She had one of those smiles that lit up a room.” Mick took another deep breath. “I never got the chance to, though. The army moved me from the field hospital to the main army hospital. A few days before I was to be released the army chaplain came to see me. His face told me that whatever he had to say . . .”Mick started to choke on his words. He took in a ragged breath, trying to calm himself.

Beth let go of one of Mick’s hands, moved it to his cheek and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.

Mick gave her a half smile and continued in a somewhat shaky voice. “Anyway, I knew whatever he had to say wasn’t good. The chaplain sat in the chair next to my bed and said “I have bad news for you, son. The field hospital that you were transferred from was bombed by the Nazi’s three days ago. It is a total loss. There were no survivors.” I felt like my world was imploding. All I could do was nod. The chaplain stood and just as he was turning to leave he was handed a note. It was a telegram. He read it, made the sign of the cross, handed it to me and left.”

Beth felt Mick stiffen at the memories. She could feel his fight with his emotions. “What did the telegram say, honey?” She asked softly.

Mick took another cleansing breath. Aoife had stood, glided over and sat down on the other side of the couch. She had placed her hand on his shoulder for comfort.

“It said, We regret to inform you that your father, Michael St. John, committed suicide on . . .” Mick stopped again, unable to come, the words just not coming.

Aoife could feel the guilt rolling off Mick. Guilt she knew was misplaced. She squeezed Mick’s shoulder. “Mick, dear heart, let go of the guilt. It wasn’t your fault.”

Mick looked at Aoife with tear filled eyes. “Yes, it was.” He dropped his head into his hands.

Beth looked over Mick’s sunken shoulders at Aoife, the look on her face one of sorrow. Aoife mouthed, “Talk to him.”

Beth leaned over and placed her head on Mick’s shoulder. She started gently caressing his hand with her thumb. “Mick what did the rest of the telegram say?”

In a voice almost inaudible to her, Mick responded. “It said we regret to inform you that your father, Michael St. John committed suicide on Dec. 25, 1944.” Upon finishing the sentence, Mick collapsed into Beth, the dam of guilt and shame finally breaking. She held him close as his body shook with sobs.

Josef looked at his best friend, in total shock. He could only imagine what Coraline had done with the information.

It took a few minutes for Mick to get himself under some semblance of control. Once Beth thought that he could continue, she asked, “Sweetheart, what would have made your father do that?”

Mick lifted his head to look at her. “The Army came and told them that I had been killed by the same attack that Ray had been. Mom told me when I got back to the States that losing his only child devastated him.”

“Mick, when was the field hospital attacked?” Josef asked his voice barely above a whisper.

Mick leaned back on the couch and rested his head on its back. “Also, Christmas.”

“Shit man. No wonder.”

“Oh, Mick.” Beth leaned down and placed her head on Mick’s chest. “So why is any of what happened your fault?”

“I don’t know, I . . .” Mick lifted his head back up off the couch.

Aoife stood, went into the kitchen, got four shot glasses and the bottle of single malt scotch that Josef had brought, knowing that the part that Mick felt most guilty about was yet to come. She padded back into the living room, set the glasses down on the table and poured two fingers worth into each of them. She then silently handed them out.

Aoife then retook her place next to Mick. Beth took a drink of the scotch and made a face. “How do you guys drink this stuff?”

That got the first true smile of the night out of Mick. “We don’t really taste it, just feel the burn as it goes down.”

Beth scrunched her nose. Josef snickered. “That and it’s one of the few alcohols that we can actually get toasted on.”

“Ah.” Beth watched as Mick downed the shot in one gulp. “So, why do you feel that what the Nazi’s did and your father’s choice was your fault?

Mick looked from Beth to the empty shot glass. “I don’t know. Mom was never the same.” He poured himself another shot and downed it before he continued “Then she lost me eight years later . . .”

Aoife looked sadly at Mick. Coraline had taken so much from him. Question was, would he slay this particular demon tonight once and for all. She took a deep breath, knowing that the question she was about to ask would either free him or shut Mick down completely. “Mick?”

“Yes, Aoife.” A look of deep dread came to Mick’s face. Please Aoife, don’t go there. He pleaded to her in his head.

You have to Mick.

She won’t look at me the same way.

Give her some credit Mick
.

Mick sighed deeply. He set the glass down, stood and walked to the bank of windows that overlooked the balcony.

Beth, sensing that the real issue was about to be breached stayed rooted to her spot on the couch.

Mick took in a deep breath. “I told Coraline about that Christmas the first year we were married.”

There was silence in the loft for several minutes. When Mick finally found the strength to continue his voice was barely audible. “Her Christmas present to be was to stake me one morning in my freezer a week before Christmas. She kept me that way so that I was so out of control on Christmas because I was starving that I couldn’t keep the vampire in check and then proceeded to take me on a killing spree.”

Beth’s hand shot up to her mouth in shock. Mick could feel that but to his surprise he felt no fear or revulsion from her, only love.

Beth stood and walked over to Mick. She stood behind him, wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his back. “Sweetheart, how is what Coraline forced you to do, your fault? You had been a vampire how long?”

Mick took strength from her embrace. “Less than a year. But I should have stopped myself. It took me five years to finally see the pattern and stop it. She reveled in seeing me that way. Said that’s how I should always be.” Mick turned around in Beth’s embrace and placed his forehead on her shoulder; the smell of her lavender shampoo assaulting his senses, calming him.

“Mick, love. I’m not a vampire, but if I were in the same circumstances, I wouldn’t have been able to stop myself either.”

“Yes, you would have. You’re stronger than me.”

“Mick, I can’t think of any vampire that I know that would have been able to resist the urge at that point. You were a fledgling; you really shouldn’t have been around humans anyway.” Aoife stated.

Mick knew in his heart that they were right, but letting go of the guilt and shame that he’d clung to so tightly for so many years meant that he wasn’t the monster he felt himself to be. Could he let go?

“Mick, what Coraline did to you was so wrong on so many levels; I don’t even know where to begin. As your sire at the time, she was ultimately responsible for your actions, just as I am now. Even more so since she created the scenario that put you in the situation in the first place. She endangered you and the tribe. Those are grounds right there for execution.” Aoife had come to stand next to Mick and Beth, leaning on one of the window dividers, watching them intently. She could feel Mick’s hunger growing.

“Since when is that grounds for death?” Josef asked.

“Oh, come on Josef. Don’t start pretending that you don’t know the rules. It always has been. Anything that endangers the secrecy of the tribe is grounds for execution.”

Beth’s head shot up from its resting place on Mick’s shoulder. “So you mean that Mick could be executed for telling me about you all?” She pulled Mick even closer to herself.

“In centuries past, yes. They have gotten much more open minded in the last century or so.” Aoife responded. She could feel Beth’s heart rate slow to a more normal pace.

“It was still my fault, I killed them; innocents . . . children.” Mick’s last word faded into the vampiric range of hearing, but not before Beth had caught enough of it to understand. She swore to herself that if she ever saw Coraline again, she would kill her.

“Get in line, Blondie.” Josef knew what Beth was thinking.

Mick started to pull away from Beth, but she held her grasp firm. “Beth, can’t you see now? I’m a monster. I killed those that were defenseless.”

“I get it. But I don’t care. You wouldn’t have done it if Coraline hadn’t done what she did. Please stop beating yourself up over it. It was so very long ago and you are not that person anymore.”

Mick lifted his head and searched Beth’s face for any trace that she was lying. What he saw and felt took his breath away. She didn’t hate him; she didn’t see him any differently. She got it. She got him. He buried his face in her hair again, nuzzling her neck.

Beth moved her hand to the back of Mick’s head and started gently massaging it. She felt him start purring in contentment. Finally. She thought. Then the change happened. Beth had noticed that even with the glass of blood, Mick’s eyes had still looked yellow.

Mick panicked, the bloodlust had come on so quickly. He had to get away from Beth and quickly, flashes of those distant Christmas’ past flashing though his mind.

Beth was having none of it though. She knew that he was hungry and the discussion had brought on a PTSD episode. A light bulb went off in her head. She looked quickly at Aoife for confirmation. Aoife nodded once. Beth’s response was to clamp down even harder on Mick’s head. “Bite me, Mick.” She breathed.

His answer came out in a sob. “No! I’ll kill you, like I did all of the others.”

“No, you won’t. Bite me, Mick. Now. You need to eat.” Beth could feel Mick’s fangs resting on her vein. With a sudden movement she pushed down hard on the back of Mick’s head, forcing his fangs into her neck. She gasped at the pain, but didn’t move. She sighed as she felt Mick take a swallow and then start to gently suckle at her neck.

Mick was caught off guard by Beth’s actions. He tried to pull away but she held him in place. Her blood filled his mouth, forcing him to swallow. He was overwhelmed by the emotions her blood contained. She truly loved him completely, all of him. For her there was no separation between Mick the man and Mick the vampire, they were one in the same, just different parts. He relaxed and continued to feed for a few minutes; feeling satiated much sooner than he thought he should have considering the level of bloodlust.

Mick carefully slid his fangs out of Beth’s neck and held his tongue against the wounds until they sealed shut. He then placed a soft kiss against them and lifted his head to look into her eyes. “Thank you.”

Beth’s eyes sparkled. “Your welcome. Feel better?”

Mick thought for a moment. Yes his hunger was gone, but with Beth’s actions so had the guilt and shame associated with the day left too. He realized that they were all right. Yes, he did kill those people, but he wasn’t in control at that point, he was too young, Coraline had been. He was sick and tired of letting his past rule his present. He wanted his Christmas back and the people that were the dearest to him, all be it kicking and screaming, gave it back to him. “Yeah, actually I am.” He gave Beth a squeeze, pressed a kiss on her lips and pulled her back into the living room. “So is it still Christmas?”

Aoife chuckled. “Yeah. It’s only 10:30 pm. What do you want to do?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Sing more carols?”

“You have got to be kidding me. More carols?” Josef rolled his eyes.

“No I’m not. Besides I don’t have any presents to give anyone.” Mick looked down sheepishly.

Beth gave Mick a mischievous grin and pushed him down on the couch. She then promptly sat herself down in his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck. “Mick, gifts aren’t the important part of Christmas for me. Getting to spend it with those dearest to me is. And having you here to share it with is the best gift I could get.”

“How did I ever get so lucky? God, I love you.” Mick wrapped his arms around her and placed a kiss on her forehead, which brought a giggle from Beth.

“Well, carols it is then. Any one in particular?” Aoife had padded over to the stereo system so that she could change the cd’s.

“Don’t care. Any will do.” Mick replied.

“Okay.” Aoife answered. The cd started and Aoife and Mick started singing along to A Holly Jolly Christmas.

So the rest of the evening went, four friends sharing the slaying of a demon and the promise of many joyful Christmas’s to come.
User avatar
coco
Cleaner
Posts: 6983
Joined: Fri Jan 16, 2009 6:17 pm
Location: In my own little corner of Moonlight heaven :)
Contact:

Re: Christmas Revisited - Part 4 (PG13)

Post by coco »

WOW. What a chapter Sumaire.

Poor Mick - he has so many scars from his past and hopefully now he realizes he has Beth to help him heal. :)
coco's Fan Vids/coco's Graphic Art
Image
Avi by TugaFanatic & banner by me. Thank you.

"Maybe it was her blood in my veins that let me feel her. The beating of her very living heart. Or maybe, we've always been connected." Mick & Beth - Moonlight


coco's YT channel
coco's Vimeo channel
100% Moonlight Tumblr
:twothumbs:
User avatar
francis
100% Moonlightaholic
Posts: 11556
Joined: Sat Jan 17, 2009 9:45 am

Re: Christmas Revisited - Part 4 (PG13)

Post by francis »

Oh poor Mick :Mickangel: , what a dreadful Christmas experience he had before. I'm so glad his friends and his Beth were able to help him through this.
Merry Christmas, sumaire! :heart:
Post Reply

Return to “Sumaire's Office”